What a wonderful feeling to be back in this chair, colleagues, but it's a feeling.

---Laughter

Monsieur le president, monsieur le premier minister, messieurs et Mesdames les deputes, mesdames et messieurs, et amis.

It is once again a pleasure and honour for me to be in your presence and to close this Assembly. It seems not that long ago I was here doing the same thing, but from your side of the House, in 2003.

Using this time for a few personal comments before I begin my formal duties, I want to say what a pleasure it has been to watch the important work of our government coming together through your sincerity and hard work.

This year, we witnessed the 40th anniversary of the Government of the Northwest Territories coming home to the North. To some of us who were around 40 years ago, we watched and wondered what would happen, some of us even wondered if we too could be part of the new government.

In these past 40 or so years, the world has watched our territory evolve politically, socially, economically and culturally, and, from time to time, we have led the way in change and other countries have followed our example.

Some of us could only watch; some took more active roles through employment, but, in your case, you have taken on the role as leaders. You have all become the instruments of change and have acted on the people's wishes during your elected terms by making those important changes. To them, we owe you a great deal.

Being in politics is a difficult task not just for the Members, but for their families as well. Without the support of your families, you jobs here would be even more difficult, if not impossible. To them, we owe a great deal and I extend my admiration and gratitude to your families, on behalf of all the North's people.

I know now that some of you have already announced your intention to seek re-election. I want to wish you every success in your campaigns.

Some of you have also announced your intention not to seek the mandate and will pursue other challenges instead. I want to extend my appreciation for your service to your constituents and all people of the North, and also wish you every success in your decision.

It has been an honour to have served and worked with you.

To conclude my personal comments to the Members, I also want to let you know that I have had the pleasure of visiting each of your ridings at least once since becoming your Commissioner. I am happy to report that I have only two and a half communities left to visit by next April. The half is for the community where I was only at the airport and not in the community. I'll get it done.

On behalf of my staff, Phila Fyten and Raegen Mager, and Barb Paquin -- two are present this afternoon in the gallery -- it has been a pleasure to be in your service during this 15th Legislative Assembly and we look forward to continuing that with Members of the 16th Legislative Assembly beginning in October.

When you first came together, you had a vision of a Northwest Territories where individuals, families and communities could be self-reliant. The work you have undertaken during this Assembly has helped northerners do just that.

The agenda you set for yourselves has been ambitious. Sometimes your deliberations were difficult, but ultimately your work has served to improve the North's general condition and have a positive effect on the lives of northerners. You have achieved your goal and demonstrated an unwavering commitment to the people of the Northwest Territories.

As you look back over your term in office, some important milestones will stand out:

• • an important new territorial formula financing agreement and a better government credit rating;
• • an agreement-in-principle with four aboriginal groups on devolution, contributing to moving the entire devolution agenda very near to success;
• • a Greenhouse Gas Strategy and an Energy Strategy;
• • a territorial recycling program, a program which I take advantage of;
• • more training and job opportunities for northerners than ever before;
• • major improvements to the income security programs;
• • a significant increase in the number of senior high school graduates, particularly among aboriginal students; and
• • continued support for a responsibly developed oil and gas pipeline.

Of course, there are other initiatives that are still in the works. Tomorrow, for example, I am very pleased to be travelling to Fort Providence for a sod turning celebration for the long-awaited Deh Cho Bridge project.

---Applause

As I said, some of us have been around for 40 years and have been talking about that for 40 years. Tomorrow is a start. I am sure there are many more issues of special significance to individual Members that you will reflect upon in the future.